User-oriented processing and communications devices, such as personal computers, laptop computers, cell phones, PDAs, printers, and similar devices are frequently connected to computer networks and/or communications networks. These may include corporate, educational, government, public access and other networks.
Network connectivity entails not just a physical connection, such as a hardwired coupling or a coupling via a wireless connection, but also software-based authorization to access network resources. Such authorized access typically provides the ability for a user device to communicate over the network, access and use other devices on the network such as printers, and possibly to access various database and other information resources on the network, such as e-mail. In order to ensure the security of a network, only authorized network users and devices should be permitted to obtain access to network resources.
Network interfaces on network devices have a unique machine identifier, for example, a media access control (MAC) address. When the end user device registers in the network, certain rights, services, resources, etc., may be assigned to the end user device and associated with the unique machine identifier. Thus, when the end user device accesses the network, the end user device has access to those rights, services, resources, etc., that are assigned to and associated with the unique machine identifier of the end user device.